Why mod? Its fine

[jimbob]

I like the idea of being able to mod my pedals to get a better sound from them but wonder how often there are needless mods done to perfectly good sounding pedals. Example- I bought a ds-1 and a sd-1 this week. I think the sd-1 sounds great by itself- in fact I decided not to touch it so far, anyway. The ds-1 will get modded out of just curiousity. It was only 39.99 so I decided why not. But to manys suprise- there are boss effects that dont need modded at all. But thats again only my opinion and taste. I guess thats it= person taste is why these get modded. For so long i was under the impression that most Boss effects needed modded- again- i guess its all person taste. To my suprise- I do almost like the sd-1 better than my new ts-9- I hated the thought of admitted that with all the tubescreamer hype in all. O well- Anyone else have any cheapo mass produced pedals that there considering modding or leaving alone?

[vanhansen]

I was in the same boat with my SD-1 for a while but then decided to do the mods from Fuzz Central.  I'm glad I did too.  The sound improved a lot, to my ear anyway.  I can really hear the difference in my soundclips when I listen to the stock clip and then the last clip after the opamp change back to back.  It sounds warmer and more full.

The one pedal I haven't touched and won't is my Super Chorus.  I love it just the way it is.

I only wish I had found mods and knew how to do them to the DS-1 before I traded mine off.  Never could get used to it.  I guess I'm more of an overdrive kind of guy rather than distortion.

[MartyMart]

This also has a LOT to do with the guitar/amp you are using, i've modded and sold quite a few DS1's and SD1's and for me they are both improved in the tone,drive and noise departments !
Whatever sounds good to you IS good for you  

Marty.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

MartyMart has a very good point. As a manufacturer, I have to consider what my boxes might have themselves hooked up to. I could sometimes design for a better signal to noise, for example, if I knew the input would always be within a narrow voltage and impedance range. Alas, it is not so...!

[jimbob]

I know my old ts-808 sounded great on my marshal SS amp and just decent on my tripple XXX tube amp. I really didnt expect anything from my sd-1 but i was really suprised at the great harmonics i get from it. Esp since most distortion and overdrive pedals dont sound good with my amp/guitar setup. The ds-1 sounds like shit- just like i expected - esp for 39.99 new no tax or shipping-not a bad deal! so i look forward to modding it. It sounds thin and cold- so very soul-less.

Just for the hell of it I might modd the sd-1 after I do the ds-1 and see how it works out. Someone mentioned a chip change? Im oing to modd them based on Phillips site. Did anyones ds-1 turn out really good? Like a big difference?

[ryanscissorhands]

I don't think that it's just opinion--it's also contextual. Take someone else who liked their mod with their gear setup. They might prefer an unmodded version with YOUR setup. Then it's not just "I think the mod is better," it's "with my gear, the mod makes it better."

[Jason Stout]

I look at it as a person that needs to do modifications, not a box that needs a mod.  :wink:
Here's to alteration!

[puretube]

in fact, most original pedals on the market are already modded to death by illustre designers, before they hit the stage...
but then they have to compromise to this or that, to make it a marketable success.
:shock:

[petemoore]

Pick a winner...
 I've had a few of them. One I used as main Fuzz, can't say it 'wasn't modded, I never opened it. Sounded great we said. Sold...
 Got another very new one as a terrible temporary trade, between sets the kid made off with the new Boss Flanger and an 'ol Rat for only a new-ish [signed] DS-1...Daft. Upon further inspection it was decided unusable an soon after Sold. Test equipment was the same as the first, difference between the two pedals 'Alot'. This one actually sounded quite bad.
 I have a Boss DS-1 in the basement, sounds wonderfully horrendous, almost like there's something wrong with it, between the flat dynamics, the nasty high end, and lack of low end definition and wierd chord sounds, it sounds best with the indicator not lit, which is perfect, because I feel there's still hope for it. I found out there's room to fit a standard dual 8 pin IC socket in there after splicing one in, definitely helped, pedal still needs work to sound good.
 So, maybe they're 'upping the standards on some of the new ones, the old first one I had was a great pedal, little noisy but the other two were/is consistantly irritating sounding.

[vanhansen]

The ds-1 sounds like shit- just like i expected - esp for 39.99 new no tax or shipping-not a bad deal! so i look forward to modding it. It sounds thin and cold- so very soul-less.

Just for the hell of it I might modd the sd-1 after I do the ds-1 and see how it works out. Someone mentioned a chip change? Im oing to modd them based on Phillips site. Did anyones ds-1 turn out really good? Like a big difference?

My ds-1 was the same way with my setup.  Hence the reason I got rid of it.

As for the sd-1, I pulled out the stock chip and put a socket so I can swap chips out.  Right now it has the Burr Brown OPA2134PA in it.  Sounds great.  If you want to hear what it sounds like, go to my site and under the DIY Effects and Mods section is the SD-1 page.  Listen to the sample from Phase 5 which is where I replaced the chip after all the other mods.

I got my chip by ordering free samples from TI.

[Mark Hammer]

Sometimes, things are just fine the way they are, and sometimes they aren't.

It would be a mistake to approach all rigs as possessing the same bandwidth throughout ands the same resonances.  In the case of speakers, not only do they vary across each other with respect to resonances, but they can also vary WITHIN themselves across volume levels.  The extent to which all these variations complement a pedal, or show it in a bad light, can vary considerably.  It would not surprise me a bit if there were plenty of pedals that sounded absolutely fabulous with 12" speakers in a closed cab, but sound irritatingly harsh with 10's in an open cab and an amp with lots of sparkle or a tonestack with the corner frequencies.

I suppose you can consider post-manufacture mods as being a bit like a picture frame that is selected to complement a particular image n a particular context.  Not every picture looks good in every living room in every frame.

[Hal]

You totally have a point.  My DS-1 was mediocre at best, and never used in my rig.  The mods, more than improving the "fidelity" made it sound more versitile, and I'm thinking of using it ocationally now.  The high gain is higher, low is lower, the tone pot is more flexible...it opened the pedal up...

However, I would _never_ mod my CE-2.  That deff. ain't broke.  At some point (maybe its 25th birthday or sometihng) I might replace the electro caps, but thats it.

[wampcat1]

Sometimes, things are just fine the way they are, and sometimes they aren't.

I suppose you can consider post-manufacture mods as being a bit like a picture frame that is selected to complement a particular image n a particular context.  Not every picture looks good in every living room in every frame.

Very good analogy, Mark!

I consider modding pedals like adding condiments to a good sandwich...yes, you could just go ahead and eat it (the sandwich, not the pedal!   :lol:  :oops:  ) but I like the way its tastes with some mayonaise (sp?) and a splash of mustard.
my biased $.02  :lol:

[mlabbee]

Also, you might mod something to get something that's otherwise not available . . . i.e., you're not trying to improve the sound, but get a totally differnt sound without having to build it from the ground up (and maybe get a nice box pre-made).